David Hyde Pierce won four Primetime Emmy Awards for playing Niles Crane on Frasier. He received the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series award in 1995, 1998, 1999, and 2004.
Pierce was nominated for the award in eleven consecutive years, from 1994 through 2004, an unusually sustained run that reflected how central Niles became to the show's comic storytelling. Niles began as Frasier's younger, more buttoned-up brother, but Pierce's physical comedy and precise reactions made him one of the series' defining characters.
The role was created with Pierce in mind partly because producers noticed his facial resemblance to Kelsey Grammer. Niles's rivalry with Frasier, his anxious relationship with his aristocratic ex-wife Maris, and his long-running romance with Daphne gave Pierce material ranging from farce to emotional drama.
The four wins are sometimes confused with Pierce's total Emmy nominations or with Frasier's larger collection of awards. Pierce also earned major recognition elsewhere, including a Tony Award for the Broadway musical Curtains in 2007.